Last Updated on May 26, 2023
One exceptional high school student planning to attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the fall of 2018 will receive the gift of a lifetime – a ‘Full Ride’ Tom Joyner scholarship from the Tom Joyner Foundation. The Tom Joyner Scholarship covers full tuition and stipends for up to 10 semesters, effectively paying for every college expense.
Tom Joyner, chairman of the foundation, is the host of a popular nationally syndicated radio show and he understands that the cost of a college education isn’t getting any cheaper. Committed to giving back to the community that has given so much to him, Joyner committed to offering the annual Tom Joyner Scholarship to driven high school seniors determined to pursue their dreams through a degree at a historically black college.
“The cost of a college education isn’t getting any cheaper,” said Tom Joyner, chairman of his Foundation and host of the top-ranked nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning show. “So, I want to help a graduating high school senior with a chance to attend a black college to pursue their dreams.”
Conditions of the ‘Full Ride’ Tom Joyner Scholarship
The winner of the 2018 Tom Joyner Scholarship will receive an incredible gift – freedom. Today the financial burden that higher education places on students are staggering and the Tom Joyner foundation offers each winner of the Tom Joyner Scholarship the chance to focus on their studies free of financial concerns. Full tuition is included in addition to stipends that will cover the cost of books and on-campus room and board. This funding is available to the scholarship winner for up to 10 semesters providing that he or she remains diligent and meets the required academic standards each semester.
Past Winners of the Tom Joyner Scholarship
Historically the winners of the Foundation’s annual ‘Full Ride’ Tom Joyner Scholarship have an impressive academic and service-oriented background. Past Full Ride Scholars including last year’s winner, Z’Kijah Fleming of DeSoto, Texas,who is attending Howard University where she is planning to major in sports business; Morgan Taylor Brown, of Fayetteville, Ga., who is attending Spelman College, pursuing her interests to become a psychiatrist. In 2015, JoAnna Jones of Ashville, North Carolina’s Buncombe County Early College High School is attending Winston-Salem State University, where she is pursuing a degree in nursing. Other winners are Titus Zeigler, who was a top student at Atlanta’s Henry W. Grady High School. The future trauma surgeon was a member of the Junior ROTC program, tutored kids at a local middle school and volunteered at the Atlanta Food Bank.
Blaine Robertson of Reserve, LA graduated from Howard University and he is pursuing his dream of teaching high school back home in Louisiana. Britney Wilson, a native of Brooklyn, NY, also graduated from Howard University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Wilson, who passed the New York Bar exam, participated in the Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellowship where she worked with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Program litigation team. Another one of our Full Ride Scholars Cheyenne Boyce graduated from Spelman College, where she was an international relations major who is fluent in Japanese. She spent a year working as a Fulbright Fellowship English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Malaysia.
Who Can Apply for Tom Joyner Scholarship
Any high school senior who is planning to attend a historically black college or university in the fall of 2017 can apply for this year’s Tom Joyner Scholarship. Students must have their schools mail their transcripts and recommendations to the Foundation at P.O. Box 630495, Irving, TX 75063-0495. Two of the recommendations should be from teachers who know the students’ work and one may be a personal reference, reflecting on the students’ character and community work. Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the scholarship:
- You must be a United States Citizen.
- You must be currently enrolled in high school in the United States and will graduate in the spring of 2017.
- Minimum high school grade point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0-grade scale, excluding home school studies) and Minimum SAT score of 1400 (Based on the NEW SAT score format -combined math essay and verbal score) or ACT score of 30.
- You must apply to and be accepted by an HBCU by the first of July, 1 2018.
- You must have demonstrated leadership experience outside of academics (either through community service, extracurricular or other activities).
How to Apply
Eligible students should begin their application for 2017 ‘Full Ride’ Tom Joyner Scholarship as soon as possible. To get started, visit the TJ Foundation website to complete an application. Applications for the ‘Full Ride’ Tom Joyner Scholarship must be postmarked on or before January 18, 2018 and the most qualified candidates will be invited for interviews in March of 2018.
For more scholarships and financial aid advice, please visit our 101 Minority Scholarships page or see our College Funding category.
